Remember the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared. Though you may not use everything you bring to the meeting, it's important
that you bring everything you might need, just in case. Items you'll want to bring include:

Boy Scout Handbook

Pencil, pen, colored pencils, and markers

Paper, ruled and blank

Practice ropes

Compass

Poncho

Personal first aid kit

Boy Scout pocket knife, if you are Totin' Chip certified

We recommend you use an old book bag or satchel to store all your meeting gear. Then, you'll always be prepared and
won't have to hunt to find what you need.

What do I need to wear to the meetings?

You will want to come dressed in your Class A uniform, unless you will be participating in physical fitness activities,
in which case, you should dress appropriately.

You should also wear the appropriate dress for the weather: long sleeves in the winter and shorts in the summer.

You will discover that the Boy Scouts use standard outdoors terminology as well as a rich, Scouting specific vocabulary.
Though you will pick up specialized Scouting vocabulary as you advance, it's important to understand the basics:

Scout

A young man (before his 18th birthday) in the Boy Scouts of America.

Scouter

An adult leader, either male or female, in the Boy Scouts of America.

Patrol

The smallest unit of organization in Boy Scouting, a patrol is a collection of Scouts who operate as an independent
part of the Troop. Patrols have their own leaders, their own meetings, and their own flags and calls. Each patrol has a
name, which is decided upon by the patrol members. Typically patrols are named after animals, but any unique name will
do. For example: the Ravens, the Otters, the Werewolves, the Vultures, the Stones, etc.

Troop

A collection of Patrols, led by Scouters who facilitate Patrol activities. Each Troop is led by a Scoutmaster, one or more
Assistant Scoutmasters, and a committee. Troops are identified by unique numbers, in our case 388.

District

A collection of Troops in a fixed geographic location. Troop 388 is in Falls district.

Council

A collection of Districts in a fixed geographic location. Troop 388 is in Falls District, Occoneechee Council.

Region

A collection of Councils in a fixed geographic location. Troop 388 is in Falls District, Occoneechee Council, Southeast
Region 7.

How do I access my Troop e-mail?

There are two ways to access your Troop 388 e-mail:

From a web browser, such as FireFox, Internet Explorer, Konqueror, or lynx.

From a separate e-mail client, such as Outlook, Eudora, or PINE.

Using a web browser is the easiest way to access your Troop 388 e-mail. Follow these steps:

Using a separate e-mail client is more difficult, because you will need to configure it to connect to the Troop 388 e-mail
server.

The exact steps to accomplish this vary widely, but the general procedure is as follows:

Open the "account" management portion of your e-mail client. This will be located in the same place where
you first configured your e-mail client with your e-mail address and password.

Enter the following 6 crucial pieces of information into the appropriate fields. Values that never change, regardless of
who is following these instructions, are in bold. Values that change depending upon who you are and your particular
settings are in italics.

Account Type:

Mail (or "E-mail", but not "News," "Directory," or any others)

Server Type:

IMAP (do not choose POP)

Server Security:

SSL or SSL/TLS

Server Address:

imap.troop388.org

Username:

your e-mail address

Password:

the same password you use to check your Troop 388 e-mail on the web

SMTP Server:

the same server used by your other accounts

Here is a screen shot of what this information can look like:

Save this new account information, and notice that a new icon or label will appear where your normal list of mailboxes is.

If you receive a warning about an "invalid certificate", this is normal. Just "accept" the certificate.

Click on the new icon or label and notice that your Troop 388 e-mail appears in this new "inbox".

For parents

Why should I choose Boy Scouts for my son? Why choose Troop 388?

Scouting has, for the last 100 years, devoted its program to enriching youth through confidence and character building
activities. Using outdoors-focused activities such as camping, swimming, and hiking, Scouts learn how to
manage and overcome challenges, develop self-reliance as well as team work skills, and to recognize the importance of self,
community, and world awareness.

Troop 388 is an inclusive troop, welcoming youth from all walks of life. Our Troop fosters a climate of respect,
understanding, and communication, while developing skills and having fun.

Troop 388 is led by a dedicated group of Scouters who believe in the effectiveness of the Boy Scout program, having
themselves been Scouts and having seen Scouting's impact on their lives. Troop 388's Scoutmasters are entrepreneurs, college
professors, former law enforcement, and U.S. Army veterans, many of whom have earned Eagle Scout. All of our Scoutmasters are
BSA-trained in youth protection, safe swimming and boating, first-aid and life-saving.

Troop 388 is governed by a committee composed of business men, dentists, and engineers, all of whom work together to ensure
our program helps Scouts learn new skills and earn ranks.

What is a Troop 388 meeting like?

At our meetings, you'll see a dynamic group of young men learning new skills, improving old skills, and having
fun the whole time!

During the Summer Season (Feb - Oct), the Troop meets every Monday night,
except holidays, from 6:45pm to 8:15pm in the youth classroom of Greystone Baptist Church
(map). During the Winter Season (Nov - Jan), the Troop meets from
6:30pm to 8:00pm.

On special occasions, we may meet at a different time or location. We will notify youth well in advance of these changes.

Scouting requires commitments from both the boys in the Troop and their parents or guardians.

Boys will need to make time commitments for official Troop activities (meetings and outings), as well as time commitments
outside of official Troop activities to study and practice skills.

Parents or guardians will need to make time and financial commitments. First, your boy(s) will need your help getting to and
from meetings and outings, they will often ask for your help when studying new materials, and they'll want to just talk about
the exciting time they're having! Second, Scouting requires the purchase of personal camping gear, Scouting uniforms and
patches, Scouting manuals and paperwork, activity fees, and membership dues.

What does it cost to be a member of Troop 388?

There are four major expenses in Scouting:

Membership dues (annually, $60)

Activity fees (approximately monthly, average $20-$40)

Scouting paraphernalia (approximately annually, $50-$100)

Outing gear (one-time, $50-$400; approximately annually, $25-$75)

Each boy's needs are different, and so costs will vary. In a year, you might expect to pay $375-$715 for each of
your boys to be a member of Troop 388. That works out to be about $1-$2 dollars a day, or about the same cost as a
cup of coffee and a muffin each day.

How are membership dues and activity fees distributed?

Membership dues, recorded annually, go directly to the Troop Committee Treasurer for deposit into the Troop fund.
The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters draw from this fund to:

purchase Troop equipment such as tents, stoves and stove fuel, tools, teaching materials, and so on.

A detailed fee disbursement breakdown is available from the Troop committee at any time, upon request.

How is the leadership of Troop 388 organized?

Troop 388 follows the BSA-standard troop structure.

The Troop Committee is at the top, which acts much like a Board of Directors: setting Troop policies, raising Troop
funds, ensuring logistical and financial support, etc. Parents, alumni, and facilities representatives comprise the
Troop committee.

The Scoutmaster, an adult volunteer with considerable Scout experience, executes the direction set by the Troop
Committee. The Assistant Scoutmasters (adult volunteers with Scouting experience) and Junior Assistant Scoutmasters
(older youth, usually Eagle Scouts) support the Scoutmaster in his duties.

For current, specific information about our leaders, please visit our About Us
page.